PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — The parent company of Redhook Brewery, where an employee was killed when a keg exploded as it was being cleaned, has hired an independent investigator to try to determine what caused the accident.
In a message sent to members of the brewing industry June 1, Terry Michaelson, chief executive of Craft Brew Alliance Inc., said the investigator whom his organization has hired will assess the keg and the cleaning equipment that was involved.
Investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also investigating the April 24 explosion that killed Ben Harris, 26, of Newington.
Investigators say Harris was in the process of emptying the keg with pressurized air when it blew apart at the seams. The plastic keg was not owned by Redhook or any Craft Brew-affiliated breweries, the company said. There were no witnesses to the 7 a.m. explosion.
OSHA said the Redhook brewery in Portsmouth has never been cited for a workplace safety violation.